Barbute

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

By the end of the thirteenth century, the armor-producing cities of northern Italy had gained an international reputation and were exporting arms and armor throughout Europe. Milan was preeminent through the sixteenth century, followed by Brescia. The greatest Milanese armorers were members of the Missaglia family, a dynasty of merchant-armorers active from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth century. During the fifteenth century, the Italians perfected complete armor of plate. Probably developed in Milan around 1400, it covered the wearer from head to foot. The advanced technical and stylistic features of Milanese armor influenced local craftsmen wherever it was exported. Thus, in the fifteenth century, armors worn across western Europe from Spain to Flanders displayed Italian characteristics. Thriving local centers of armor-making were found at Burgos and Calatayud in Spain; Paris, Tours, and Lyons in France; and Arbois in Burgundy.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art